In the late fifties and early Sixties, California was the Mecca of the American Dream. It was the Golden Land of endless summers and surf-pounded beaches; and the city of Los Angeles stood for everything that was modern and go-ahead. By the late Sixties, however, the hippest city in California was undoubtedly San Francisco. This change in emphasis marked a definite shift in rock music. Popular music was part of established business in LA; but San Francisco represented something else - rock as counter-culture, as a lifestyle, and as music outside the corporate business structure. [1]
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band from San Francisco, a pioneer of the
psychedelic rock movement.The Airplane was the 'flagship' act for the burgeoning psychedelic rock scene that developed in San Francisco in the mid-1960s.In terms of music and lifestyle, the Jefferson Airplane epitomized the San Francisco scene of the mid-to-late Sixties. Their heady psychedelia, combustible group dynamic and adventuresome live shows made them one of the defining bands of the era. Much like their contemporaries on the San Francisco scene - Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Big Brother and the Holding Company principal among them – the Airplane evolved from roots in folk and blues to become a psychedelic powerhouse and a cornerstone of the San Francisco sound. [3]
Band Members [2]
GRACE SLICK: Grace Slick, to the public mind, is synonymous with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship in the way that Mick Jagger is synonymous with the Rolling Stones.White Rabbit, which she wrote, helped define not only Jefferson Airplane but also the acid rock era. Her unconventional vocals on Somebody to Love gave the Airplane its biggest hit. As one of the first female rock stars (as opposed to pop singers), Grace helped redefine women's role in modern music as more than just a sex symbol backed by a band. Of course, with her statuesque beauty and icy blue eyes, Grace had the sex symbol bit down pat as well. 
During one rainy outdoors concert, she performed topless rather than getting her blouse wet.
Listen to an excerpt from 'White Rabbit' here :
MARTY BALIN: Marty Balin was the lead singer and founder of Jefferson Airplane. Marty's very distinctive, soulful voice became one of the hallmarks of the Airplane's sound, and he composed many of the band's most memorable songs, including Volunteers, It's No Secret, Coming Back to Me and Today. 
PAUL KANTNER: Although he never wrote or sang lead on a hit single, Paul Kantner had the greatest impact on Jefferson Airplane/Starship of any member. He holds the record for the longest, unbroken membership (19 years), and he has been at times the only original member of the band present. 
His interest in science fiction helped transform Jefferson Airplane into Jefferson Starship, and, throughout it all, he presided over the band's loose and sometimes messy democracy. If Marty Balin was the soul of the band, and Grace Slick its public persona, then Paul Kantner could be considered its brain.
JORMA KAUKONEN: Jorma Kaukonen is one of the most important guitarists of our time with a body of work lasting over three decades. His brilliant finger-picked fretwork and songwriting, a compelling blend of rock, blues, folk and country influences, has distinguished Jefferson Airplane and its equally legendary (and still active) spinoff band Hot Tuna.
JACK CASADY: After a lifelong journey in music, from his first professional gigs with the Jefferson Airplane from 1965-1972 to his ongoing collaborations with longtime partner Jorma Kaukonen in Hot Tuna, bassist Jack Casady feels extremely pleased with where he is at right now. While Casady has distinguished himself in a career that spans four decades, he remains excited about entering his fifth decade as a working musician.
SPENCER DRYDEN: Spencer Dryden played drums with Jefferson Airplane during its peak years, 1966-70. Spencer's varied background in jazz and rock contributed greatly to the Airplane's sound, as evidenced by his bolero-style beat on White Rabbit.
Above : Grace with Balloons and Grace with Janis Joplin
On August 15 1969, 500,000 music lovers descended on a rural community in upstate New York for three days of love, peace, respect, drugs, mind expansion and the largest rock concert ever staged. Mixing anti-war sentiment with life changing music and drugs with free love, Woodstock was the place to be. The Jefferson Airplane gave an incredible performance that day, taking everyone to a different heights altogether. Watch the performance of ' Saturday Afternoon / won't you try' below :
Finally, one of the dreamscape sleepy infectious airplane song ' Comin' back to me' . A song you would love to wind up to, and one which will make you come back and listen to it again n again .. listen to an excerpt from the song from below. The lyrics are posted below.
The summer had inhaled
And held its breath too long.
The winter looked the same,
As if it had never gone,
And through an open window,
Where no curtain hung,
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.
One begins to read between
The pages of a look.
The sound of sleepy music,
And suddenly, you're hooked.
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.
You came to stay and live my way,
Scatter my love like leaves in the wind.
You always say that you won't go away,
But I know what it always has been,
It always has been.
A transparent dream
Beneath an occasional sigh
Most of the time,I just let it go by.
Now I wish it hadn't begun.
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.
Strolling the hill,
Overlooking the shore,
I realize I've been here before.
The shadow in the mist
Could have been anyone
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.
Small things like reasons
Are put in a jar.
Whatever happened to wishes,
Wished on a star?
Was it just something
That I made up for fun?
I saw you, I saw you,
Coming back to me.
Check out excerpts of other Airplane classics from the playlist below:
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